Control apparatus



May 12, 1925.

' 1,537,623 K. A. SIMMON ET AL CONTROL- APPARATUS Filed March 19, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY May 12, 1925.

K. A. SIMMON ET AL CONTROL'APPARATUS Filed March 19, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES:

Patented May 12, 1925.

UNlTED STATES 1,537,523 Arr OFFICE.

KARL A. srMMoN, or Ensnwoon PARK, AND Hanna" 1%. MEYER, on WILKI sBURG,

PENNSYLVANIA, AssreNon-s 'rownsrrnenonsn ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVeNIA;

CONTROL APTABATUS.

Application filed March 19, 1919. Serial No. 283,474.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, KARL A. SIMMON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and HARRY R. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVilkinsburg, in.

the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control vApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to control apparatus for electric motors and especially to foot-controlled devices.

In the operation of an electric controller, through the agency of a pedal, or the like, that is actuated by an operators foot, itiis permissible and desirable to provide con venient means so located with respect to the positions of the-pedal as to allow the operator to rest his foot without further actuating the controller. It'is one object of our invention, therefore, to provide simple and reliable foot-rests for the purpose mentioned.

Another object of our invention is to provide means, comprising an adjustable locking member, for retaining the foot-operated controller in a predetermined position when the motorman transfers his operating station from one end of the vehicle to the other.

Other minor objects of our invention will become evident from the following description, taken in conjunction with'the accompanying drawings whereinv Figure 1 is a plan View of an apparatus, of the type mentioned, that is constructedin accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view and Fig. 3 is a View, in elevation, thereof. r

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5are views, in end and in side elevation, respectively, of certainportions of the apparatus shown in preceding figures.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view partially. in elevation and partially in section, of another portion of the apparatus shown in the previous figures.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view, in end elevation, of another portion of the control apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus shown comprises a suitably encased electric controller 1; a foot-actuated device 2 for the controller; and a latching or looking device 3 that is employedunder conditions to be set forth. I 7

The controller 1 is preferably of miliar drum type, being mounted'upon a centrally located shaft 4 and having a suitthe faably 5 configured contact segment 5 and a plurality of co-operating control fingers 6 for effecting the desiredcircuit connect-ions,

as will be understood. In the present instance, the controller is adapted to concurrently govern both the electric circuits and the braking apparatus, as fully set forth in our copending application, Serial No; 302,813, filed June 9, 1919. Consequently, the five operative positionsrof the illustrated controller are marked Emergency which is the v normal position to which the device is biased,through the ac-- r tion of a suitable spring 7 Service 7 and Lap reference being had to the corresponding manipulation ofv the familiar airbrake apparatusrand, Coast "and Run corresponding tothe coasting and operating conditions of the vehicle-propelling motors.

The foot-actuated apparatus 2 comprises a suitably formed pedal '10 which the operators foot may conveniently. engage; and a dog or support 11, which is rigidly secured to the controller shaft 41 by means of a setscrcw 12, for the purpose of detachably sup porting the pedal 10. A. downwardly-eX- tending lug or arm 13 ofthe dog 11 is provided with a horizontally-located aperture 14, for a locking purpose to be set forth.

A plurality of foot-rests or stops 15 and 16 are located as near as possible to the pedal 10 and, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, are so shapedas to conform to the angular position of the pedal when the eontroller occupies the Lap 3 and the Coast positions respectively. essary for the operator to maintain his foot for some time in the positions corresponding to Lap or Coast operation of the vehicle, a considerable hardship would be imposed upon him were it not for the provision of the illustrated foot-rests. These rests or stops 15 and 16 may conveniently be formed of a single casting, as shown, or of hard-wood blocks, respect vely having sloping upper surfaces 17 and 18 that extend in directions parallel to the J dotted lines marked Lap and Coast, the outer Since it may benecinto a more comfortable position without entailing any further actuation whatsoever of-the controller. The foot-rests do not in terferepin any way, with the normal opera-" 'tion of the pedal, but are so located as .to

conveniently perm-itthe toe of the operator to slide upon them when desired.

. Referring to the enlarged View, Fig. 8, the pedal -1-Ois sh-own as comprising a flat heel plate 21 and raised and'su itably curvedtoe plate-22, this form or pedal being the most convenient and reliable for actuation by foot power. A plurality of depend- I ing lugs or ribs 23 and 2e are wedged into cor-responding slots or grooves in the upper side of the dog orsu'pp'ort 11, whereby the pedalfis normally held in position with a 'firm: grip, butmay be readily removed when the operator changes hisfstation from one endiof the'vehicle to the other. In thisway, only onelpedalisireq-uired for double-end operation of a vehicleand,furthermore, unauthorized na nipulation of the control ap paratus by" passengers upon the rear end. or

i V thevehicle is prevented,

As is customary indouble-end operation of a vehicle, the corresponding electrical'cirw'curts of the two car-controllers'ar-e connected in parallel relation'to permit complete .oper atlon of the 'car-prope'll-nfrg'motors'rrom either operating station In'the present instance, however, if either controller were left in its normal or biased posit-ion Eine'rgene'y, the car"circui-tsi'would be so energized that emergency operation o'f-the airbrakes-wouldbe effected, regardless ofthe operation of the controller atithe other end of the vehicle. Consequently, 'we have provided 'asimple and effective latching or re- 't-aining' device 3 for maintaining the controller preferably its 'Lap t position, Wl-IQDBMGI the operator changes ends. The latchingjdevlce 3, most clearly shown j in Fig. 6, comprises awsuita ble pi l'lowblock or bearing member 301113011 which is mount ed a smal-l journal or bearing me-mber 3 1 for one end'of the controller shaft 4, a spacing collar or sleeve-32being integrally or otherwise related to the pillow-block proper.

A mil-led knob or handle member 3'3 is provided with a rib or lug 34 upon its inne'r face, for 't'he'p'urpose 'o'fe'ngagingfa corresponding slot or groove in the collar '32,

whenthe knob occupies" a certain position.

Rigidly secured to the knob and extend-- ing in alinement with the aperture 14 of the pedal dog 11 is a pinor small rod 3 5, which as surrounded by a hel cal biasing spring "d-iate the ends of the pin 35. I

As will be evident from the illustrated structure, whenever the knob .33 is manually 36 that acts between an internalsurface of the spacing collar 32 and a small washer or retaining collar 38 that'is located intermeadjusted in a position corresponding to the registration of the rib 34 and the correspond ing slot, then the pin 35 protrudes beyond the p'il low block 39 and enters the aperture 14 of the pedal-'doglug 13, provided that.

the dog occupies a position corresponding to the -Lap" posit ono -f the controller. Under such conditions, the controller is firmly "locked in the desired position and the pedal 10 may be emevedrotheot her end o f the vehicle without fearof unauthorized actuation of the controlleruponthe rear end of the car. I r

. Under.norma'l'operati-ng conditions, however, that is, when the illustratedcontroller is to be actively employed, the knob'33 is turned into some position wherein the rib slot. In this case, the pin '35 is entirely withdrawn from the aperture 140i the pedal dog and, consequently, unimpeded actuation of the pedal -10, in accordance with 'thedesir'es of the caroperaton-is permitted;-

V-V'e do not wish to be restricted to the i 34 extends transversely ofthe corresponding i specificstructuraldeta ilsor' arrangement of parts herein set torth, as various m'odi fications thereof-maybe made without departing -l'nonilthe spirit and" scope or our invention. We desire, theretorie, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are. indicated in the appended claims.

'VVe cla m as.o-ur-1nvent1 0n':-' 1. .The combination with a member adapted to assume a ,plunazlitykof definite positions when actuated by anv operators foot, of a pluralityorf foot-rests respectively shaped to conform .to the angular positions or said member, whereby theoperiator may rest his foot without further actuating's-aid member.

2. The combination With'a pedal adapted to assume a plurality of definite positions 7 when actuated by an operators' foot, of a plurality of foot-rests located on opposite sides of said pedal and respectively shaped to conform topthe angular positions thereof,

whereby the operatormay slide his foot on said foot-rests without further actuating the pedal.

1 3. The combination with a Eplural-position controller, of a pedal for'actuating-said controller through its positions, a plurality of .foot-restslocated on opposite sides'of said pedalandrespectively corresponding to said positions to permit the operator to shift his weight without further actuating the controller. f 7' 4. In a device'of the character described, in combination, a a manually operable 'r'nember'dispos'ed for movement into a plurality of predetermined positions, means adapted to retain said member in any of said predetermined positions, and a plurality of rests disposed to correspond to the different predetermined positions of said manually operable member.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a manually operable member disposed for movement into a pll'lrality of predetermined positions, said member being adapted to receive an operators foot, means adapted to retain said member in any of said predetermined positions and a plurality of rests disposed to correspond to the different predetermined positions of said manually operable member, said rests having an angular inclination corresponding to said foot-receiving member as said manually operable member is moved to difierent positions.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names this 11th day of March, 1919.

KARL A. SIMMON. HARRY R. MEYER. 

